All-Stars Among All-Stars

Originally published in Prospects Hockey in 2007

By Lucas Aykroyd

In 1975, the movie Jaws broke box office records, Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti topped the record charts, and The Six Million Dollar Man wowed TV audiences. It was a good year for hard-hitting star power, and the Canadian Hockey League emulated the trend by instituting the Memorial Cup tournament all-star team.

This tradition has continued for more than 30 years, with media members voting for their preferred candidates. The only notable procedural change came in 1998: instead of specifying a left wing, centre, and right wing, voters were allowed to choose three forwards playing any position.

Of course, some Memorial Cup All-Stars have greater long-term upsides than others, and the CHL prides itself on being the NHL’s premier supplier of talent. With the big picture in mind, Prospects Hockey has picked two starting-five lineups of Memorial Cup All-Stars (a First Team and a Second Team), focusing on which players subsequently enjoyed the best NHL careers in terms of factors like longevity, productivity, and Stanley Cups. Not all of our choices won the Memorial Cup, but each one used the tournament as a springboard to pro success.

Inevitably, big names were left off our two teams. And even if one of your favourite NHL veterans made the cut, you might question why he’s on the Second Team instead of the First. May the debates be as intense as the on-ice action at the 2007 MasterCard Memorial Cup.

FIRST TEAM

Goal: Felix Potvin, Chicoutimi Sagueneens (1991)

It is a singular oddity that no Memorial Cup All-Star goalie has ever won a Stanley Cup. That said, Potvin is clearly the cream of this class.

Nicknamed “The Cat,” the 19-year-old showcased his quick reflexes with Chicoutimi, the QMJHL champions, at the ’91 tournament in Quebec City. His best performance came in an overtime 2-1 semi-final loss to the Drummondville Voltigeurs, as he made 52 saves. As well as being named an All-Star, he edged out Trevor Kidd for the Hap Emms Memorial Trophy as Best Goalie (voted by NHL Central Scouting), even though Kidd backstopped Spokane to the championship.

Potvin played 635 NHL games with five clubs, highlighted by runs to the semi-finals with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1993 and 1994.

Defence: Scott Niedermayer, Kamloops Blazers (1992)

Talk about consistency. Niedermayer, who captured the Norris Trophy in 2004, is a legitimate contender for best NHL defenceman again with Anaheim this year. After the silky-smooth blueliner retires, he’ll be a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer. This 33-year-old has won everything conceivable: the Memorial Cup, three Stanley Cups, and numerous international titles.

In Niedermayer’s second career Memorial Cup in Seattle, he made up for his club’s failure in 1990 in Hamilton. He racked up seven points in five games, and made history in true All-Star fashion by springing Zac Boyer loose for the tournament winner versus Sault Ste. Marie. “It got me off on the right foot career-wise,” said Niedermayer. “At the time, it was as exciting and as big as anything I’ve won since.”

Defence: Al MacInnis, Kitchener Rangers (1982)

When MacInnis won the Conn Smythe Trophy and the Stanley Cup with the Calgary Flames in 1989, he had matured into one of the NHL’s elite all-around defencemen. However, this Nova Scotia boy was known from the start for his fearsome slapshot, and he exploited that weapon in Kitchener’s first-ever Memorial Cup triumph, securing his All-Star berth with three goals and six assists.

Other pro highlights for MacInnis included three appearances on the NHL’s First All-Star Team, 12 trips to the All-Star Game, and the 1999 Norris Trophy. He retired in 2005 after playing 1,416 career NHL games.

Left Wing: Luc Robitaille, Hull Olympiques (1986)

When Robitaille tallied 191 points with the QMJHL champs in his final junior year, it was impressive, but few would have predicted that he’d become the highest-scoring left wing in NHL history. Due to questions about the Montreal native’s skating and defensive abilities, he was merely a ninth-round pick of the L.A. Kings in 1984.

But in the Memorial Cup in Portland, Robitaille tied Dale Hawerchuk’s 1981 tournament record of eight goals, including a four-goal outing in a 9-3 semi-final win over Kamloops. The Olympiques succumbed to Guelph in the final.

Robitaille kept his personal momentum up in 1987, as he was named the NHL’s top rookie with the Kings. It took 15 years before he won his lone Stanley Cup with Detroit. Among active left wings, only Brendan Shanahan is within striking distance of Robitaille’s 1,394 career points (about 100 behind).

Centre: Bobby Smith, Ottawa 67’s (1977)

Smith routinely scored more than two points per game in his last two years of junior, and the big, talented centre maintained that pace at the ’77 tournament in Vancouver, registering 12 points in five games. Although Ottawa lost 6-5 to the host New Westminster Bruins in the final, Smith was named the most sportsmanlike player in addition to making the All-Star Team.

In 1977-78, he established an OHL single-season points record that still stands (192). He would win the 1979 Calder Trophy with Minnesota and notch 160 playoff points in his 15-year NHL career, which included a Stanley Cup with Montreal in 1986.

Right Wing: Brian Bellows, Kitchener Rangers (1981)

Captaining an OHL team at age 16? That’s pretty sweet. It would have been even sweeter for Bellows if his Orval Tessier-coached squad could have defeated Cornwall in the tournament final, but they fell 5-2. However, his six goals deservedly brought him All-Star recognition.

The right wing from St. Catharines, who played for five NHL clubs, became the 54th player ever to hit 1,000 points in 1999. He won the Cup with Montreal in 1993.

SECOND TEAM

Goal: Pat Riggin, Ottawa 67’s (1977)

Riggin was actually on loan from the London Knights. He recorded a 2.98 GAA in four starts to claim his All-Star berth. His greatest NHL achievement was sharing the 1984 Jennings Trophy with Al Jensen in Washington.

Defence: Larry Murphy, Peterborough Petes (1980)

Murphy’s seven points earned him All-Star honours even though Peterborough fell short in its third consecutive trip to the Memorial Cup. One of the smartest players ever, he would set the points record for rookie blueliners in 1981 (76), play more career NHL games than any other defenseman (1,615), and capture four Stanley Cups with Pittsburgh and Detroit.

Defence: Brad McCrimmon, Brandon Wheat Kings (1979)

This tough, workhorse defenseman didn’t complain after Brandon’s 2-1 overtime loss to Peterborough in the final: “Everyone on this team showed guts, desire, pride, and class. We might not have won, but we proved ourselves.” McCrimmon showed similar moxie in his 1,222-game NHL career, leading the league in plus-minus in 1988 (+48) and winning the 1989 Stanley Cup with Calgary.

Left Wing: Ray Whitney, Spokane Chiefs (1991)

Playing alongside Pat Falloon, Whitney bagged 11 points in just four games in Spokane’s 1991 triumph. The diminutive forward is still thriving in his mid-30’s. He won his first Cup with Carolina last year, and set career highs in goals and points this year.

Centre: Dale Hawerchuk, Cornwall Royals (1981)

Hawerchuk was as dominant in his final year of junior as Sidney Crosby was in his, and this was the second straight year he led Cornwall to a Memorial Cup victory. In his 1981-82 NHL rookie season with Winnipeg, “Ducky” exceeded 100 points at age 18, a feat only ever matched by Crosby. In Hawerchuk’s 1,118-game, 1,409-point career, the only thing missing was a Stanley Cup.

Right Wing: John MacLean, Oshawa Generals (1983)

The gritty forward helped Oshawa reach the Memorial Cup final with his three goals and four assists. MacLean’s NHL career ran from 1983 to 2002, featuring three 40-goal seasons and a Cup (1995) with New Jersey.

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

Here are some fine All-Stars who didn’t make our cut (but might, in many cases, if we redid this article in 10 years):

Laurie Boschman (1979)
Patrice Brisebois (1991)
Sidney Crosby (2005)
Shane Doan (1995)
Mark Fitzpatrick (1987, 1988)
Marian Hossa (1998)
Martin Lapointe (1993)
Trevor Linden (1988)
Eric Lindros (1990)
Chris Phillips (1997)
Wade Redden (1996)
Brad Richards (2000)
Darcy Tucker (1995)

DID YOU KNOW?

The only clubs ever to claim five out of the six available Memorial Cup All-Star berths are the 1987 Medicine Hat Tigers and 2003 Kitchener Rangers.

Every 1988 All-Star Team member played more than 200 NHL games: Dean Chynoweth (241), Mark Fitzpatrick (329), Darrin Shannon (506), Darryl Shannon (544), Rob DiMaio (894), and Trevor Linden (1,300-plus).

The first European-trained All-Star was Oshawa’s Czech defenseman Jan Snopek (1997). Currently suiting up for Pardubice, he never made the NHL.